IPL 2026: KKR's latest update on Cameron Green's bowling; ‘We're in regular contact with Cricket Australia. I'm sure…’

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) remained non-committal on the timeline on when Cameron Green will be able to bowl in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), with bowling coach Tim Southee stating the the Australian will “bowl soon”. After KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane pointed fingers at Cricket Australia, Green's national cricket board replied back stating that the all-rounder is still nursing a minor back injury for which he can't bowl.

Bought for a staggering ₹25.20 crore by the KKR at the auction last December, Green was brought into the squad as a replacement for Andre Russell - who retired from the IPL - to balance the middle-order. Ahead of KKR's their home clash against Punjab Kings on Monday, Green's bowling was the first question Southee encountered at the pre-match presser.

Southee confirmed that the 26-year-old is putting hard yards at the nets and will be bowling soon. “Cameron's been bowling well, tracking obviously his rehab and giving himself back to being able to bowl in games," Southee told reporters at Eden Gardens. "He'll continue to do that. We're in regular contact with Cricket Australia, and I'm sure we'll see Cameron bowling soon,” added the former New Zealand quick.

“All of a sudden, you can't bowl in the game. That's why he has been bowling in the nets; he has been working on getting his match-fitness ready, and that takes time. There is constant touch between us and Cricket Australia. I'm sure it's not far before he starts bowling,” Southee added.

Cameron Green starts bowling at nets

Soon after Rahane's "ask Cricket Australia" remark came out, videos of Green bowling full tilt at KKR nets started coming out. Although he didn't bowl in KKR's second loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Green's bowling workload suggested that he is working towards gaining match fitness.

With Harshit Rana and Akash Deep already ruled out because of injuries and Sri Lankan Matheesha Pathirana yet to arrive due to match fitness, Green not bowling has severely impacted KKR's bowling attack, something that was palpable during both their losses in IPL 2026 so far.

Rahane also spoke about how much importance of having Green as a bowler makes combination-wise. “I think when hopefully Green starts to bowl soon, the combination will slightly be different. At the moment, we have to see the balance, guys who can bowl well for us. Finding that balance with the ball is really important. So hopefully, Green starts to bowl soon, combination-wise we'll be okay,” Rahane had said after loss to Mumbai Indians.

Will KKR risk to drop Cameron Green?

There have been suggestion that KKR might bench Green until he starts bowling and bring in someone like Rovman Powell or Rachin Ravindra. It must be noted that Green managed scored of 18 and 2 so far. When asked if there is a possibility of either Powell or Ravindra making the playing XI against Punjab Kings, Southee played it safe.

"There are so many good players that you can choose from. There are discussions around what side you think is best to match up against the opposition and the venue, the ground that you're playing at. It's hard to get the perfect equilibrium,” he added.

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